Kentucky.gov: - KHS to Dedicate Historical Marker to Honor St. Boniface Parish

Kentucky Historical Society
KHS to Dedicate Historical Marker to Honor St. Boniface Parish

Press Release Date:	Monday, August 01, 2011
Contact Information:	Chelsea Compton 502-564-1792, ext. 4504 chelsea.compton@ky.gov

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 1, 2011) — The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will dedicate a historical marker to honor St. Boniface Parish at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14 at 531 E. Liberty St. in Louisville, Ky.

Founded in 1836 to serve German Catholics and named for the Apostle of Germany, St. Boniface is the oldest Catholic parish in Louisville existing under its original name. The Gothic-style church, dedicated in 1900, was designed by D. X. Murphy and Brothers, who also designed St. Boniface Friary, built in 1899.

In 1849, parishioners began the church’s rich tradition of charitable outreach by co-founding what is now the St. Joseph Catholic Orphan Society. Franciscan Friars oversaw this parish from 1849 to 1998. The parish school was built in 1908 and was staffed by Ursuline Sisters until it closed in 1967. In 1991, the friary was converted into apartments.

The Kentucky Historical Marker Program, administered by KHS in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, commemorates historical sites, events and personalities throughout the state. Through the program, the wealth of Kentucky history is made accessible to the public on markers along the state’s roadways. The markers are on-the-spot history lessons that add drama and interest to the countryside for native Kentuckians as well as tourists.

For more information about the program, contact Becky Riddle, Kentucky Historical Marker program coordinator, at 502-564-1792, ext. 4474 or becky.riddle@ky.gov.

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history. The KHS history campus includes the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the website at www.history.ky.gov.